Clip for securing suspended ceiling structural members



April 28, 1964 A. H. DUNLAP 3,130,821

CLIP FOR SECURING SUSPENDED CEILING STRUCTURAL MEMBERS Filed Nov. 4, I960 IN VEN TOR. 11/76 06 1% Dfl/YLAP United States Patent 3,130,821 CLIP FOR SECURING SUSPENDED CEILING STRUCTURAL MEMBERS Arthur H. Dunlap, Seattle, Wash, assignor to Beadex Dry Wall Specialties, Inc, Seattle, Wash, a corporation of Washington Filed Nov. 4, 1960, Ser. No. 67,412 2 Claims. (Cl. 189-35) This invention concerns a clip for use in a specialized field, namely, in joining the structural members of a suspended ceiling firmly and securely together. It can be used elsewhere, for example wherever two crossed structural members must be held closely together against tension tending to separate them, hence no restriction is in- 7 tended by this description of the one particular use.

A suspended ceiling usually includes at least two types of structural members, namely, elongated bars or joists, so-called, which are so formed as to support by direct engagement ceiling panels or the metal lath and monolithic ceiling, and transverse structural members or beams, often referred to as plasterers channels, or similar structural members which are suspended from above and to which the joists or elongated bars beneath them are directly and firmly connected, in close contact. In the installation of such a ceiling it is obviously desirable for the workman to be able to join the crossing structural elements quickly and readily with assurance that the connection will not he accidentally disengaged, yet with the possibility of disengagement if that should be made necessary by subsequent structural changes. Sometimes wire ties have been used for the purpose, but these tend to consume a longer time in installation than is desirable, and they may work loose and permit the ceiling to sag in spots. Also, ties that extend beneath the bars produce bulges and obstructions that are undesirable.

The present invention is designed to provide a clip for use in thus securing the panel-supporting joists from the overlying beams or plasterers channels, and it concerns also an assembly of such structural members and clips.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a standardized form of clip for such a purpose which can be made inexpensively in large numbers and which, in particular, is so constructed that the weight of the ceiling joists and panels pulling downwardly on the clips will not tend to deform them and so to permit spacing between the two crossing structural members and resultant sagging and weakening of the ceiling system.

Also it is an object to provide such a clip which can be manufactured in simple fashion and by automatic devices; hence, inexpensively :as stated above.

The clip of this invention and the structural assembly incorporating it are shown in the accompanying drawings in a representative form or forms, in accordance with the spirit of this invention. The particular forms, structures and usages that make up the present invention will be more fully explained in this specification and defined in the claims which terminate the same, and no limitation is intended except as may be stated in the claims.

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of a typical and frequently used structural assembly incorporating the clip of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view of the clip per se, in its initial form.

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view of the structural assembly shown in FIGURE 1, and FIGURE 4 is an elevational view of the same taken from a viewpoint 90 removed from that of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is an elevational view similar to FIGURE 4 of a slightly modified structural assembly utilizing the same clip; and FIGURE 6 is an elevational view from a viewpoint removed from that .of FIGURE 5, of the same modification.

A longitudinal bar or joist 2 of suitable cross section, of metal so that it is fire-resistant, is provided for immediate engagement with and support of ceiling elements such as ceiling panels. The ceiling panels to which reference is made are intended as representative of any type of ceiling; they are omitted from the drawing but they would, for example, be supported upon the flanges 21 of a hat-section joist 2. To prevent deformation of the joist and to deaden sound the vertical channel of the hat-section may be filled with a filler of fire-resistant material 22. At the upper edge of its sides this joist is formed with a series of longitudinally spaced holes 20 at frequent and preferably regular intervals.

A beam, also of metal, or other equivalent supporting member is illustrated at 3. Such beams are fixed in position, usually by suspending them at intervals from above by wires, rods, or strap hangers, not herein shown, but which are conventional in such constructions.

In order to prevent the ceiling from sagging in certain areas, and to prevent looseness from developing under load between the joists 2 and the beams 3 it is necessary to secure the two at their crossings tightly together by means which will not come loose. Since ultimately there is an appreciable weight of ceiling supported by the joists 2, tending to separate the latter from the beams 3, the securement at their crossings must be positive in action and dependably tight.

To effect this securement, according to the present invention there are employed clips generally designated by the numeral 1 which are made preferably of stiff but bendable wire, in a particular form. Each such clip includes parallel legs 11, terminating at one end in hooks 12, usually directed inwardly towards one another. vAt the opposite end the legs are joined by a connecting portion 13 which, as FIGURE 2 clearly shows, is arched towards the hooks 12, and by this arching acute-angled corners are left at the junctions between the connecting portion 13 and the legs 11. Preferably these corners are accentuated by directing the wire at this end of each leg somewhat outwardly beyond the general extent of the legs, and then inwardly to join the arched connecting portion '13, so as to leave the U-shaped reentrant acute-angled corners it The inside of these corners does not extend greatly outside the extension of the line of the legs, but there is ample room within the corners 10', at the ends of the arch of the connecting portion 13, for reception of the legs of a second clip. The clips are used in pairs.

To illustrate the usage of the clips reference is made to FIGURES 1, 3 and 4. At the opposite sides of the beam 3 the pair of cooperating clips are mounted with their hooks 12 engaging within holes 20 in the joist 2. One of the clips, designated A to distinguish it from the other which is designated B, has its legs extending through the corners 10 of the companion clip B, and the closed end of the clip B is bent over the top of the channel 3 and may be bent somewhat downwardly over the opposite edge, although this will normally occur only from the manner of securement of the clips. With the clip B engaged in the holes 20 of the bar 2 and bent over the top of the beam 3, and with the legs of the clip A extending through the corners 10 of the clip B, and its hooks engaged in the holes 20 of the joist 2, the closed end of the clip A is now bent downwardly, sharply, and in so doing it will tend to bend the closed end of the clip B downwardly below the top of the channel 3, and will itself be bent to a sufficient extent that a strong force is produced, urging the joist 2 and beam 3 together.

Whereas ifthe connecting portion 13 were straight tension thereon would tend to pull the legs 11 out of the corners, and together to concentrate all the load at the center of the portion 13, it will be noted that the arch 13 of the clip B tends to spread the bent legs of the clip A fully and positively outwardly or apart, and prevents them from being drawn together by tension in the joint, either initially or after installation. Regardless of the load imposed on the bar 2, and indeed increasingly with increased load, the legs 11 of the clip A are always urged by the arch 13 of the clip B outwardly to maintain them in the reentrant corners of clip B, spread well apart, and to prevent the tensional forces in the clip legs from bending the arch 13 of the clip B downwardly, which, if permitted, would effect approach of the legs of the clip A, concentrating the entire load at the center of clip B, and acting to bend the connecting portion 13 downwardly, loosening the tie.

By the procedure of this invention a quickly formed, tight and secure joint is assured, yet if it is ever necessary to disengage the joist 2 from the beam 3 this can be done by bending the clip A into its upright position and then effecting withdrawal of its hooks 12 from the holes 20.

In FIGURES 5 and 6 the joist 2a is of inverted T-section instead of the hat-section joist shown in FIGURES 1, 3 and 5. The clips will function equally well with such a section, and indeed are particularly helpful in such an assembly. Here it is necessary to draw the hooked ends of the legs of clip A inwardly to engage in the holes 20 in the joist 2a, and also it is necessary to engage the hooks in adjacent holes rather than in directly opposite holes. The inward drawing of the hooked ends of the clip A would have a tendency to draw the opposite ends of the legs inwardly, and so to impose a heavy or concentrated stress on the connecting portion 13, but because of the arched formation of this connecting portion any such inward displacement of the legs of the clip A is prevented, and the joint remains secure and tight.

While the clip has-been described as used in one particular manner and usage, it can well serve wherever it is 4 desired to pull together and maintain two such elements in tight contact, despite tensional stress tending to sep arate them. No restriction is to be implied, therefore, from the particular description herein, and reference in the claims to such particular usage -is to be read as illustrative, but not restrictive.

I claim as my invention:

1. A structural assembly comprising a first elongated structural member having holes spaced longitudinally, a second elongated structural member directed'transversely of and positioned next to said first member, a pair of clips for interconnecting the two members, each clip comprising a flexible wire formed with a pair of parallel legs hooked at one end and engaged within the holes of the first member, each of a length to extend above the second member, and a connecting portion joining the upper ends lot the two legs, each connecting portion being arched towards the hooked ends to define acute-angled corners at the junction of the connecting portion and the legs, the upper end of a first clip of a pair being bent over the second member, and the second clip of the pair having its legs within the acute-angled corners of the first clip, and bent reversely towards its hooked ends to retain the first member snugly against the second member.

2. The assembly as in claim 1 wherein the clips are formed with U-bends at the junction of the connecting portion with each leg, extending outwardly of the legs to define reentriant acute-angled corners, and to afford room for the legs of the other clip, without pressing the latter inwardly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 749,222 Purdy et al. Jan. 12, 1904 1,002,539 Ortner Sept. 5, 1911 1,693,949 Grimm Dec. 4, .1928 2,843,194 Regan July 15, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,232,421 France Apr. 25, 196 0 

1. A STRUCTURAL ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A FIRST ELONGATED STRUCTURAL MEMBER HAVING HOLES SPACED LONGITUDINALLY, A SECOND ELONGATED STRUCTURAL MEMBER DIRECTED TRANSVERSELY OF AND POSITIONED NEXT TO SAID FIRST MEMBER, A PAIR OF CLIPS FOR INTERCONNECTING THE TWO MEMBERS, EACH CLIP COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE WIRE FORMED WITH A PAIR OF PARALLEL LEGS HOOKED AT ONE END AND ENGAGED WITHIN THE HOLES OF THE FIRST MEMBER, EACH OF A LENGTH TO EXTEND ABOVE THE SECOND MEMBER, AND A CONNECTING PORTION JOINING THE UPPER ENDS OF THE TWO LEGS, EACH CONNECTING PORTION BEING ARCHED TOWARDS THE HOOKED ENDS TO DEFINE ACUTE-ANGLED CORNERS AT THE JUNCTION OF THE CONNECTING PORTION AND THE LEGS, THE UPPER END OF A FIRST CLIP OF A PAIR BEING BENT OVER THE SECOND MEMBER, AND THE SECOND CLIP OF THE PAIR HAVING ITS LEGS WITHIN THE ACUTE-ANGLED CORNERS OF THE FIRST CLIP, AND BENT REVERSELY TOWARDS ITS HOOKED ENDS TO RETAIN THE FIRST MEMBER SNUGLY AGAINST THE SECOND MEMBER. 